Trump: China policy not working well

The “One China” policy that has dictated U.S.-Chinese relations for more than 35 years has not necessarily served America well, President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview that aired Sunday morning, and as such he felt little concern about his controversial decision to accept a phone call from the president of Taiwan.

“I fully understand the One China policy, but I don't know why we have to be bound by a One China policy,” Trump said in the interview, which aired on "Fox News Sunday."

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That phone call marked the first time since 1979 that an American president or president-elect is known to have spoken with the president of Taiwan, which the mainland Chinese government regards as a breakaway state. America’s “One China” policy, instituted in 1979 during Jimmy Carter's presidency, officially recognizes the government in Beijing — though the U.S. retains close, albeit unofficial, ties with Taiwan.

Trump said the phone call, initiated by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, was brief and did not represent some premeditated plan to agitate the Chinese government. Still, Trump said he was unconcerned by reports that his communication with his Taiwanese counterpart had angered Beijing.

“I don't want China dictating to me," Trump said.

"Why should some other nation be able to say I can't take a call? I think it actually would've been very disrespectful, to be honest with you, not taking it.”

The president-elect made getting tough with China a key component of his presidential platform, pledging to stop Beijing from manipulating its currency and to end the flow of American jobs moving there. On Sunday, he reiterated those concerns and attacked China also for building a “massive fortress” with its military buildup in a contested portion of the South China Sea.

China is “frankly not helping us at all with North Korea,” Trump said. “You have North Korea. You have nuclear weapons, and China could solve that problem, and they're not helping us at all.”